The Marvellous Plunnie
by Pyreite
Summary: Buyo's gone to kitty heaven and Souta's mourning.  Kagome decides to visit the pet store to find a new kitten, but she takes Inuyasha with her and comes home with an unusual Plunarian Rabbit instead.  Sess/Kag, Modern-time A/U, Vignette, COMPLETE.
1. Hungry Hanyou, Naruto and Mutant Bunnies

_**The Marvellous Plunnie by Pyreite**_

**Disclaimer: **_Inuyasha, and its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi__**. **__The __original __characters __Marv 'The Marvellous Plunnie'_ _the __wolf-hanyou Tsukiko__, and __Sesshoumaru's Grandmother__ (mentioned in this oneshot) belong to Pyre/Pyreite._

**Warning: **_This oneshot contains the use of strong coarse language. Discretion is advised. Koinu is the Japanese word for 'Puppy'._

Oneshot inspired by Smittee's Dokuga Fanfiction Challenge

**Prompt:** - Marvellous (from the Marvellous M-Challenge)

**Hungry Hanyou, Naruto, and Mutant Bunnies**

"Inuyasha!" growled Kagome. She smacked the hanyou's hand when he reached for the nearest cage. It hadn't been a good idea to bring him along. The hanyou had his doggy ears stuffed into a red baseball cap, and was looking round the pet shop like a hungry wolf. "They're not for eating!" she scolded, pulling him away from a silver aviary full of twittering bright-feathered birds.

Inuyasha's stomach rumbled.

"You could've cooked me some ramen before we came to this stupid place!" grumbled the hanyou, upset at being denied a decent meal. He preferred fresh red meat, but he liked the salty packaged noodles from Kagome's time too. The little containers were incredibly convenient. He could pop the lid, fill the plastic cup with hot water, and only had to let it steep for a while. Two minutes later, he could slurp noodles, and gulp the steaming broth to his heart's content.

Inuyasha appreciated the simpler things in life. He liked to have clothes on his back, a comfortable tree to sleep in, and a full stomach. His needs were basic and he never asked for much from the world or the people in it. He believed that his desires were unselfish, and fair. It was a pity that Kagome disagreed with him.

"I'm starving!" complained the hanyou, his lip curling. The point of a pearly fang glinted. The Miko slapped her hand over Inuyasha's mouth, and dug manicured fingernails into his cheek. She hissed at him to be quiet, and to suppress his ravenous '_Inner Doggy_'. The pet shop assistant (a lanky teenager) was gaping at them with round, and startled eyes. The guy was seriously wondering if these two weirdoes had escaped from the asylum eight miles away.

The short kid in the red cap had gazed round the pet store as if he were in a restaurant. He'd already snarled at the caged budgies, and had been licking his lips as if he'd wanted to swallow them whole. The teenager had seen that predatory look on the face of his pet cat. Fluffy the Budgerigar hadn't stood a chance. "Can I help you?" offered the teen. He ambled over, and tried to appear cool and professional.

Inuyasha peeled Kagome's fingers from his mouth. "How much for the squawkers?" he queried, jabbing a gloved thumb at the caged budgies. The teen glanced to the aviary and saw the tiny birds quaking on their wooden perches. The budgies were usually singing, and hopping round their cage. One look from a hungry hanyou and they were ready to fly to coop.

The teenager quoted the price off the top of his head. He would've launched into the rehearsed spiel about the all the wonderful sizes, colours, and accessories that came with the budgerigars when Inuyasha stopped him cold. He blinked, stunned. "_What_?" he croaked, trying to mentally process what his ears had heard. He could've mistaken the question.

Kagome tried to stuff her mittens into Inuyasha's mouth. "He was joking!" she chortled nervously, trying to play off the hanyou's question like a comical gag. Unfortunately, her friend wasn't much of a comedian. The shop assistant smiled, seeming to buy into the Miko's explanation. He froze when Inuyasha ripped the woolly mittens out of his mouth, and snarled.

"No I wasn't! The squawkers! Do they come deep-fried, battered or on a kebab? And does that include dipping sauce?" The hanyou's stomach growled. The noise was deafening. The kittens, puppies, and birds shrank back in fear. The kittens hissed. The puppies howled. The birds shrieked in alarm.

The poor budgies pooped together and left the base of the their cage creamy white. "He's so funny!" laughed Kagome, dragging her hanyou friend towards the door. She waved to the nervous shop assistant, smiling congenially. "We'll be going now!" she assured him, shoving Inuyasha ahead of her. The hanyou sniped irritably.

"It was a perfectly reasonable question! Those squawkers would barely cover one mouthful between them! I'd need to eat twenty to be properly satisfied!" grumbled Inuyasha. He was upset when Kagome continued to shove him towards the door. The hanyou was ravenous. She could've bought him something tasty to sate his hunger. Ramen would've been nice with a side dish of rare red steak. Inuyasha would've been in carnivore heaven.

Meat was a great source of vitamins, fibre and energy to keep him fit, healthy, and strong. "Watch out!" cried Kagome, when the pet shop door abruptly swung open. Inuyasha ducked on instinct. His reflexes were honed from years of running away from hungry youkai. He leapt clear and threw himself to the side.

The hanyou braced his clawed hand flat against the pet store wall, rebounded, and back-flipped nimbly. He fell into a handstand, turned ninety degrees and was soon back on his feet. The store assistant gaped, his black-rimmed glasses sliding down his nose. The mother who had nearly knocked the hanyou's head off was staring. Her daughter had her mouth open in a surprised 'O'. The girl jabbed an excited finger at Inuyasha.

"Mama! He's just like Naruto!" she exclaimed, jostling the glossy manga in her hand that featured a blond, blue-eyed kid in a vivid orange jumpsuit. "He's a _Ninja_!" she cried, beaming at the cherry-cheeked Inuyasha. He had never dealt with fan-girls before, and the little girl was ready to whip out a pen and ask for his autograph. It was the hanyou's turn to gape when he saw the weird, vaguely animal-like thing stuck to her head. The kid didn't seem to care that there was a gigantic, floppy-eared and cotton-tailed, neon-pink bunny-rabbit eating her hair.

"_What the hell is that thing_!" yelped Inuyasha, his youkai instincts running amuck. He could see the pair of gigantic over-sized incisors an inch above the kid's widows-peak. The bubbly little girl didn't seem to mind, but her tight-lipped mother did. The girl whined when her parent ushered her into the shop. The mother ignored her daughter's indignant cries that she wanted the '_Ninja Man'_ to sign her glossy Naruto manga book.

The pet store assistant sighed when the Mum marched her little girl to the counter. Kagome stared when the pair passed her. She thought the same as Inuyasha. A freaky mutant rabbit had chomped on the kid's brain. The Miko gasped when she saw its fluffy sides expand and contract.

It wasn't a hat.

The mutant bunny was alive.


	2. Plunnies, Inspiration and Waivers

_**The Marvellous Plunnie by Pyreite**_

**Disclaimer: **_Inuyasha, and its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi__**. **__The __original __characters __Marv 'The Marvellous Plunnie'_ _the __wolf-hanyou Tsukiko__, and __Sesshoumaru's Grandmother__ (mentioned in this oneshot) belong to Pyre/Pyreite._

**Warning: **_This oneshot contains the use of strong coarse language. Discretion is advised. Koinu is the Japanese word for 'Puppy'._

_**The Marvellous Plunnie, Inspiration, and Waivers**_

"Holy crap!" she gasped, horrified. Kagome glanced to her hanyou companion, and beckoned him over. Inuyasha joined her, and he stared at the mother and her daughter. "You want to know what that thing is too don't you?" asked the Miko.

"_Definitely_" affirmed Inuyasha. He didn't mind being called '_Ninja Man'_ if it meant that he'd find out more. He jabbed a finger at the kid, his golden eyes wide. "_It changed colour_!" he cried when the mutant bunny darkened to magenta. The little girl's mother whirled, and glared at him.

"That isn't a hat lady! That thing is alive! I can see it breathing!" he told her. The hanyou shook his head when she opened her mouth to scold him. She was obviously embarrassed by the situation, but that wasn't his fault. "Oh no. We're staying. That thing is eating her brain. I want to see if you can prise it off". He grinned when Kagome smacked his arm.

"He didn't mean it! Honest!" she said, trying to pacify the annoyed Mum.

"Yes I did", countered Inuyasha. He strutted to the shop counter. The Miko frowned worriedly. She knew that cocky, confident grin. Her hanyou friend was up to something.

Kagome watched her sneaky friend paste on his most charming smile. _Uh oh_. Inuyasha was in his element. The hanyou leaned over the counter, and pressed a gloved finger to the bridge of the shop assistant's glasses. He pushed the black frames onto the puzzled teen's nose.

"Old Grumpy wants the mutant rodent off her kid's head right?" stated Inuyasha. He flicked a thumb over his shoulder to indicate the little girl's mother. The woman sucked in an offended breath. The teenaged shop assistant nodded. "You'd turn lemons sour with that face Mumsy" ribbed the hanyou, uncaring if he was being insensitive.

Inuyasha was a straight-talker, brutally honest and incredibly rude.

The woman's little girl giggled in amusement. It didn't matter if her mother huffed. The 'Ninja Man' was hilarious. "Uh huh" she agreed. "My Mama doesn't like Marv. She thinks that he has rabies" she explained, offering helpful information.

"Marv?" enquired Kagome, her sapphire eyes growing round like twin moons. The kid had actually named her mutant rabbit. It was cute, but _super creepy_. The bunny changed colours again and it's coat morphed from magenta to dark purple. The Miko was reminded of a mood-stone.

"Uh huh" confirmed the little girl. Inuyasha watched the kid reach up and affectionately pat the thing glued to her head. She giggled when her purple rabbit-creature purred like a cat. "Marv is short for '_The Marvellous Plunnie_'".

"Ren!" chastised the kid's mother. The hanyou winced. The woman's voice was annoyingly shrill enough to shatter glass. Inuyasha looked to Kagome, and noted that the Miko was hanging onto little Ren's every word. She was quiet, attentive, and eager for more details.

"It's true!" Ren avowed stubbornly. She pouted when her mother whirled and jabbed a finger at the pet shop assistant. The woman intentionally snubbed Inuyasha, not that the hanyou cared. The annoyed Mum began her tirade, gesturing wildly to the purple '_Plunnie_' Marv, sitting on her daughter's head.

"Get that thing away from my daughter or you'll be hearing from my lawyer!" promised the furious parent. She'd had enough of the mountains of paper building up around her home. Sure, Marv had inspired her little girl's creativity, but it had soon become unbearable to live inside their cramped apartment. One week with Marvellous the Plunnie and her home was replete with mountains of scribbled notes, and buckets of half-finished novels. "_Don't just stand there do something_!" shrieked the girl's mother.

The store assistant sighed, and pointed to the white placard on the wall behind him. The laminated sign glinted ominously. '_We do not accept returns of the rare Plunarian Rabbit_ (_Plunnie_). _No Exceptions_'. "I'm sorry madam. I can call my manager but he'd tell you the same thing. It's shop policy", explained the teenager.

"There's nothing I can do. Marvellous" he said, nodding to the now indigo bunny rabbit atop Ren's head. "Belongs to you now". The irate Mum spluttered, and fished inside her purse. She withdrew a silver mobile phone. The teen shook his head, and reached behind the shop counter.

He withdrew a clipboard, and a signed sheaf of paper. Inuyasha and Kagome peered at the paperwork. "That's a Waiver", said the Miko, reading the topmost line of what appeared to be an intricate contract. "It's binding too", she added, scanning down the various blocks of black text to the bottom of the page. Kagome whistled when she read the pair of elegant signatures in flowing script.

"What's a '_Waiver_'?" asked the hanyou. He glanced to the shop assistant. The kid appeared honest, but Inuyasha detected a hint of subtle deceitfulness at work here. "It's just chicken scratch. How's that supposed to make any difference?" he queried, pointing at the clipboard.

"It means that Madam here", explained the teenager, nodding to the little girl's mother. "Can't return the Plunarian Rabbit. She waived that right when she signed the contract" he said, holding up the clipboard. The guy tapped the paragraph in bold text.

"I hereby waive the right to return Marvellous the Plunarian Rabbit after the animal has been exchanged, gifted to me, and or purchased by me from Karasu's Critters and Creatures Pet Store" Kagome read aloud, impressed. She shared a glance with Inuyasha, shoulders shrugging. "It's right there", explained the Miko.

Kagome tapped the very bottom of the clipboard, and showed her friend the damning proof. The woman's signature was on the dotted line. "And she signed it too". The little girl's mother spluttered indignantly. The Manager of Karasu's Critters and Creatures pet store had tricked her.

"_I don't want the Plunnie anymore_!" roared Ren's mother. She slammed her hands on the counter with a bang. "Do you know how much trouble that little pest has caused me! My Ren can't stop writing! She leaves paper everywhere! Sticky notes! Calligraphy! She even tried to ink the roof, the floor, and the walls when she ran out of stationary!" The little girl's frustrated Mum was close to tearing her hair out.

Ren pouted. "I said sorry Mama", she piped, saddened that she'd caused so much trouble. "But I can't help it. I just want to pick up a brush, and write something!" she reasoned, thinking that it was perfectly fine to ink Haiku on her mother's lovely floral wallpaper. Marv had been very inspiring. The kid stroked the Plunnie on her head, sighing when Marv whimpered.

"Can't I keep him?" pleaded the little girl.

"No you can't!" screeched her mother.

"Well the shop can't take him back Miss. You signed the waiver", affirmed the shop assistant.

Inuyasha glanced to Kagome. His golden eyes glinted thoughtfully. He had the perfect home for Ren's Plunarian Rabbit. "We'll take him", he suggested, smirking when the Miko gasped. He slapped his gloved hand over her mouth.

Kagome tried to tear the hanyou's hand away, but he held fast. She didn't like his idea of adopting someone else's unwanted pet. Sure the bunny was cute, but normal rabbits didn't change colour, or chomp on people's brains. The Miko couldn't be sure that Marv was housetrained let alone sanitary. She looked to the girl's mother.

The woman was pleasantly surprised.

"Y-You w-want the r-rabbit?" stammered Ren's Mum. She gaped at the kid in the red baseball cap, stunned. He actually wanted to own the mutant bunny that was eating her little girl's hair. "How do I know you aren't making a cruel joke!" she accused. The desperate parent was fully aware of the pet-shop's 'No Plunnie Returns' policy.

Marvellous the Plunnie inspired creativity like dog crap attracted flies.

Children were imaginative, and the towers of paper about her home were piled to the ceiling. Marv had only ever detached from her daughter's head when the girl showered, went to the bathroom, and slept. Otherwise the Plunnie was her constant companion. The kid had already been sent home from school with a teacher's note advising that pink and breathing rabbit hats weren't part of the uniform. Ren's poor mother was understandably desperate.

The mutant rabbit was a menace.

"Fine. Keep it", countered Inuyasha. He whirled, and dragged Kagome along with him. His hand was still covering her mouth too. He liked the Miko, but he didn't want her to mess things up. This was a good chance to get a pet for her brother without forking over cash and coins.

Sesshoumaru might have thought him ignorant, but Inuyasha understood the concept of trade and exchange. He liked to haggle, but if he could get away with something for free without resorting to theft. He'd take it. Kagome tried to fight his hold. Her sapphire eyes flashed in fury. "_Shut up and let me take care of this for you_" Inuyasha hissed into her ear.

The Miko's brows furrowed in silent confusion, and she wondered what scheme the hanyou had dreamt up this time. Inuyasha made for the door, and was about to reach for the metal handle when the little girl's mother called out. "_Wait_!" The hanyou smirked. He had the grumpy wart now. If she was that desperate to get rid of Marvellous the Plunnie, than she could go right ahead and hand the rabbit over, free of charge.

"Yeah?" quipped Inuyasha. "What do you want now?" He glanced over his shoulder, and saw the kid's mother wring her hands. She smelt nervous. Good.

Her nerves would play into the hanyou's favour.

"You can have the Plunnie for the same price that I paid for it", declared Ren's mother. She hoped to get some monetary compensation for the nightmare week that she'd endured. The woman's little girl huffed, and gave her mother a dirty look. Ren was already unhappy about losing Marv, but she was doubly insulted that her Mum would try to sell him too. The kid opened her mouth.

"My Mama didn't pay for Marv! The pet shop gave him to us!"

"Ren!" rebuked the kid's deceitful Mum, upset that her little girl had ratted her out.

Ren didn't care. "You told me that it's naughty to lie! You lied to the nice '_Ninja Man_'! You didn't buy my Plunnie! We adopted him because the shopkeeper didn't want him!" The girl reached atop her head, and gently petted Marv's floppy indigo ears. The shop assistant cleared his throat, and pretended that he was reading a newspaper. Ren was right. His boss _had _fobbed the nuisance rabbit off on them.

"You can have Marv if you promise to look after him, and not give him away" stated Ren. She was determined to secure the unwanted Plunnie a permanent home. The poor rabbit had jumped three residences already because the former owners hadn't been able to cope with the creature's extraordinary talents. "You have to keep him no matter what. Marv is a good Plunnie. He deserves to be part of a nice family". The kid's cheeks dimpled. She smiled.

"He's awesome with kids, and he's really neat too. My Mama was too busy worrying about little things to notice how special Marv is". Ren gave her mother a reproving glance, and the woman had the decency to look ashamed. The kid shook her head, disappointed. "I love you Mama, but Marv is my Plunnie, and I get to decide who can take him".

Inuyasha arched a silver brow when the girl stuck her hand out. She extended her pinky finger. "Pinky promise that you'll take good care of Marv, and won't give him away" requested Ren. The hanyou slid his hand from Kagome's mouth, and pushed the Miko towards the kid. He grinned when his friend whirled, and glared at him.

"You heard her" encouraged the hanyou. "You wanted a pet for Souta right? Now's your chance, so go ahead. You know how sacred the pinky-swear is Kagome", he reminded her. Inuyasha wasn't ignorant of human customs. The pinky-swear was an ancient respected rite, and the Miko knew it too.

Kagome's lip curled. She didn't like being pushed around, but Ren had a heart of gold and she couldn't (in good conscience) refuse. Inuyasha had a point too. She wasn't strapped for cash per se, but it was the principle of the matter. Kagome set her hands on her knees, and bent low to look Ren in the eye.

"I was actually looking for a kitten".

"_Kagome_!" growled Inuyasha; annoyed that she was playing hardball. The whole point of visiting the store had been to find another pet for Souta (since Buyo had passed over to kitty-heaven). Kagome's little brother had doted on the cat, and mourned for him. The Miko, thinking that it was time for her brother's heart to heal, had taken it upon herself to visit the pet store. Surely, a new kitten could help Souta to mend.

Ren giggled. "You won't have any problems. Marv can become anything. He's just a rabbit right now because I think that bunnies are cute", reassured the little girl. She caught Kagome's hands, and pasted on her best smile, complete with shiny soulful eyes. The Miko was caught hook, line, and sinker. She had never been able to resist the sad, and irresistibly cute.

"You'll take Marv, and love him and look after him, and won't give him away?" enquired Ren. Her mother dabbed her eyes, pleased and proud. She'd be able to get rid of the Plunnie and get away scot-free. She was happy. "You super-duper pinky-swear promise with a cherry on top?" added Ren, laying the guilt thick enough to skate on.

Kagome's resolve melted in the face of Ren's dimpled cheeks, and adorable smile. The Miko didn't stand a chance. "Okay. I super-duper pinky-swear promise with a cherry on top" she assured, linking pinkies with the manipulative little girl. A good firm shake and Ren was beaming. The kid reached up and gently patted Marv's navy cheek. "You have to come down now" she coaxed, tucking her fingers underneath the bunny's middle.

The Marvellous Plunnie whimpered, and even Inuyasha was sympathetic for the little beast. "Oh Marvy. It's okay. Don't be sad. Now you won't have to listen to my Mama grumble anymore" reassured Ren. The kid's mother blushed embarrassedly and tried to look dignified. The hanyou snorted, and gave the woman a cheeky grin. Her very own daughter had confirmed his suspicions.

Ren's mother _was_ a sourpuss.

Inuyasha watched the Plunnie reluctantly detach itself from the girl's head. He was amazed that the rabbit didn't shear off Ren's auburn locks with its enormous incisors. The kid actually had plaited pigtails too, and Marv was doing that weird colour-changing thing again. "_Wow_!" cried Kagome, amazed when the bunny's coat flared from dark depressing blue to daisy yellow, then orange, red, and finally candyfloss pink. The Miko tested a theory.

She had seen Shippo conjure illusions; maybe this little bunny was more than it appeared to be. Kagome sent a shiver of purification energy towards the Plunnie. The rabbit's reaction was instantaneous. Marv wriggled in Ren's arms, squeaked excitedly, and its coat flared in a kaleidoscope of vivid colour.

"I've never seen him so happy before!" chortled Ren, exultant that her little pet had finally found someone that he genuinely liked. She smiled at the Miko, and released him. Kagome stumbled when the Plunnie sprang. Marv hit her chest and there was a mad scramble to catch him. The Miko was charmed when the Plunnie purred like a cat, and nuzzled under her chin.

"He's kind of cute for a mutant rabbit", offered Inuyasha. The hanyou peered over Kagome's shoulder at her newest acquisition. He froze when the Plunnie stretched and set small, fluffy pink paws on the Miko's shoulder. It stared at him with a pair of intelligent brown eyes. Inuyasha gaped when the rabbit's pupils and irises flickered, and changed colour.

The hanyou stared into gold youkai eyes with gleaming black slit pupils. "_You're one of us_" he realised, astonished. Kagome stroked the little Plunnie's ears, and nodded in silent affirmation. She felt the shimmer of youki beneath her fingertips. Ren's precious little Marv was a youkai in disguise.

"We'll take him", confirmed the Miko. Kagome was intrigued by the fluffy little mystery in her arms. Marv was a rarity. The Plunnie was small, incredibly cute, and wonderfully charming, unlike the big, bad and moody inuyoukai that she'd left at home. "I'll look after him. I promise", affirmed Kagome.

"Thank you!" cried Ren, ecstatic for her Marvellous Plunnie.

The kid's mother sighed, relieved that she could return home without the marvellous nuisance.

The pet store assistant wiped his brow, happy that the matter had been resolved.


	3. Nephews, Uncles and Life Lessons

_**The Marvellous Plunnie by Pyreite**_

**Disclaimer: **_Inuyasha, and its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi__**. **__The __original __characters __Marv 'The Marvellous Plunnie'_ _the __wolf-hanyou Tsukiko__, and __Sesshoumaru's Grandmother__ (mentioned in this oneshot) belong to Pyre/Pyreite._

**Warning: **_This oneshot contains the use of strong coarse language. Discretion is advised. Koinu is the Japanese word for 'Puppy'._

_**Nephews, Uncles, and Life Lessons**_

Kagome waved goodbye. Inuyasha guided her to the door. She was quiet when the hanyou curled his fingers round the steel bar, and wrenched the door open. It wasn't until they were out on the street, and had eight blocks between them and the shop that she spoke again. "_Marv's a youkai_!" she affirmed, glancing to her silver-haired friend in street-clothes.

Inuyasha was decked out in a pair of Sesshoumaru's loose grey slacks, Souta's baggy black t-shirt, blue sneakers, and a red baseball cap. He passed for another teenager with a penchant for bleaching and dyeing his hair. The hanyou's silver locks were bound and trailed down his back in a thick braid. His hands were encased in trendy black-leather knuckle gloves. "Wicked threads man" enthused a spiky-haired teen strutting past in jeans, sneakers, and a large faux leather coat.

The kid raised his hand to high-five Inuyasha. Kagome gaped when the hanyou returned the greeting. He slapped palms with the teen, and gave him the thumbs up. "Got to be fashion forwards my man. You know how it goes". The punky teenager grinned, gave the thumbs up, and continued on his way, sashaying down the street.

"Right on! Nice manicure too man!"

Inuyasha smirked, and admired his razor-sharp talons. He paused. "What?" Kagome stared at her friend surprised that he could blend in so well. Her Taiyoukai mate usually stuck out like a sore thumb. "Oh" considered the hanyou.

"Sesshoumaru still refuses to mingle with the masses eh? Yeah he always was an antisocial hermit".

"_Inuyasha_!" snarled Kagome.

"It's true!" laughed the hanyou. He grinned wryly, and appraised the bunny rabbit in the Miko's arms. Inuyasha stroked Marv's floppy white ear. He was glad that the Plunnie had some intelligence. Marv had reverted to a more mundane colour while they'd been out on the street. People had paused once or twice and cooed over its cuteness, but the Plunnie hadn't exhibited any of its earlier colour-changing abilities.

"Just stay boring for a bit longer", cautioned Inuyasha. "We don't want to attract unwanted attention out here. Normal humans are a bit twitchy about Youkai". Kagome glanced between the hanyou and Marv. The rabbit wrinkled its little pink nose, and peered at her friend. She was amazed when it nodded its fluffy white head.

"He understands you", observed Kagome.

"Course he does" confirmed Inuyasha. The hanyou tickled the Plunnie's chin. "He's special Kagome. You felt that spike in youki too. Don't deny it. I sensed you scoping him out in the pet store".

The Miko kept her voice low. "No normal rabbit changes colours. I was curious so I probed a little, and Marv's youki flared". Kagome lived in modern times again, was happily mated, and had a baby boy of her own. "I've learnt a lot after spending half a millennium with your brother". The hanyou had had five hundred years to get used to the idea of Sesshoumaru and the Miko knocking boots.

Inuyasha was still queasy over it today. "_Half-brother_, and please don't bring that up again" he implored, sickened. Kagome's match to the Taiyoukai wasn't the issue. He didn't care for her mate but he couldn't deny that she was good for the Bastard. The hanyou, typically imaginative, was revolted when he mentally visualized his former crush and Sesshoumaru _snuggling_ like randy newlyweds.

"How else do you think we made your nephew Inuyasha?" chided the Miko. Kagome rolled her eyes, exasperated. She'd been happily mated to the Western Lord for five hundred years, and her darling Sesshoumaru's half-brother was still nauseous over it. The hanyou really needed to grow up. "We didn't buy a youkai egg, sit on it, and hatch him out".

"Kagome! _Shut up_!" griped Inuyasha as they continued down the road. The busy Tokyo streets gave way to suburban households, and finally to the secluded path that led to a steep hill. The pair climbed the innumerable stairs, heading to the home of Kagome's family. Five centuries had passed since the Feudal Era, but the Sunset Shrine was still Home. The major change historically was a relatively small one.

Sesshoumaru had made certain to secure much of the land surrounding her family's ancestral abode.

The local residences around the Sunset Shrine were filled with youkai families rather than human. The community was strong here, and the wards that protected the shrine had been fashioned by monks, miko, and youkai alike. "You've had five hundred years to get used to it Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru and I are mated, and we have a son. Get over it", chastised Kagome. She was sick of the hanyou's foolishness.

The Miko ruffled Marv's ears to distract herself from slapping Inuyasha.

The Plunnie purred like a content feline, and leaned into her touch. He really was a responsive little creature, and cute despite his bizarreness. Normal rabbits didn't purr like cats, or nod their heads as if they understood spoken language. "It's weird! The bastard's my brother Kagome! I can't picture you two together like that! It's gross!" protested Inuyasha. He pouted when the Miko huffed, and rolled her eyes.

"Don't be like that!" he implored when she reached the topmost step, and stormed across the paved square. "_Kagome_!" entreated the hanyou. Inuyasha groaned when she ignored him, and strode inside the Shrine grounds. He hated it when she got defensive. The last time the Miko had been that hormonal, she hadn't talked to him for forty years.

"It's got to be that time of the month", grumbled Inuyasha. He knew better than to follow the irritable Miko. Kagome needed time to cool down. The hanyou didn't have long to mope when a young voice called his name, and the pitter-patter of little feet scampered across the courtyard. "_Damn it_!" he swore, whirling round.

He tried to bolt across the square, and make for the stairs. Kagome's baby boy was shorter, swifter, and fleeter of foot. The hanyou froze when the pup caught his leg, and hung on, happily chanting. "Uncle! Uncle! Uncle!" Inuyasha glanced down, and sighed. His nephew gazed up at him with Kagome's sapphire eyes, and Sesshoumaru's black slit pupils.

The little boy beamed, showing two sets of pearly fangs. Silver hair cascaded down the kid's back, and was long to the waist. The boy's thick silver fringe partially obscured his eyes, but the crescent moon upon his brow was clearly visible. Magenta slashes graced chubby cheeks that dimpled when he smiled. "_Uncle_! _Up_!" piped the hanyou's nephew, lifting his arms.

The pup wiggled his small fingers, and tiny claws glinted in the morning sunshine. "Uncle! _Please_?" implored Sesshoumaru's son. Inuyasha was furious that Kagome had taught the brat manners. He would usually have barked 'No' and walked off, but the boy had made a polite request to be picked up. The hanyou knew that if he refused, Sesshoumaru would claw his eyes out.

The Taiyoukai was protective of his youngest son. The Western Lord had taken it upon himself to involve Inuyasha in the kid's upbringing. Sesshoumaru also expected the hanyou to indulge the pup and protect him too. "Damned Pack instincts", growled Inuyasha. He bent low and scooped the pup into his arms.

The hanyou set the boy on his hip. He sighed when the pup wrapped chubby arms about his neck, and gave him an impromptu hug. "Missed Uncle!" declared Sesshoumaru's son, snuggling close. The kid was a leech for affection. He genuinely liked Kagome's mother, brother, and grandfather, but he adored Inuyasha.

"Aunty! Where?" queried the pup, his silver brows furrowing in concern. Inuyasha rolled his golden eyes when the brat glanced purposely around them for the regal from of his aunt Tsukiko. It wasn't often that the hanyou was without his mate, but she was round and fat with their pups, and too crabby to travel. Inuyasha had known better than to bother the she-wolf hanyou. Tsukiko was at home being fussed over by Kouga's obnoxious wolves.

She had the tendency to be snappy when pregnant, so the hanyou preferred to keep her happy, healthy, and preferably _far away_ from his privates. He had plenty of love-bites in sensitive places to know her short-temper well. "She's too big to wander around now", explained Inuyasha. He sighed when his nephew gaped at him clearly confused. The hanyou pressed a hand to his belly, and flared his fingers outward in a large circle to indicate something swelling and growing rounder.

"Puppies?" enquired Kagome's son, hopeful. He'd always wanted playmates. Inuyasha chuckled, and ruffled the boy's bangs. He nodded, and laughed when the kid grinned, ecstatic. "Want to meet them! Please Uncle!" he begged, desperately desiring to meet and to know pups his own age.

It was perfectly natural too. Inuyoukai were sociable creatures, and the kid was half dog even if his father acted more like a vagrant than a proper canine. Sesshoumaru had improved after five hundred years being mated to Kagome. He was less of an antisocial hermit, more approachable, and actually knew how to smile. The Miko hadn't managed to train the haughtiness out of the Taiyoukai though, but her influence upon him was obvious.

Sesshoumaru was the dutiful mate, the doting father, and the stern disciplinarian. "What is today's lesson my son?" interceded the Western Lord. Inuyasha glanced to his half-brother, and arched a silver brow when he saw the Taiyoukai's garments. Some things had definitely improved. The hanyou had always wondered if his half-brother's closet contained nothing but endless matching pairs of the same traditional robes, tunics, and pants.

Five hundred years of the same outfit (stunning though it was in ivory, crimson, and yellow) could certainly pall on a youkai's fortitude.

Clad in a pair of simple brown slacks, tabi, sandals, and a comfortable robe, Sesshoumaru appeared less lordly and more ordinary. The Taiyoukai melted into the backdrop of the Sunset Shrine as if he were part of the buildings, the pavement, and the ancient traditions still practiced there. "Patience" piped the Western Lord's baby boy. The kid was the equivalent of a two-year-old human toddler, but he was quadruple that age in youkai terms. His mother was human, and his sire inuyoukai.

The boy was the balance of two different worlds.

He matured as slowly as every other youkai child. Sesshoumaru and his Miko mate took their blessings as they came, and were content to savour their son's long life. Ordinary human children matured too fast for a pair that had weathered half a millennium together. "And why must we be patient?" encouraged the Taiyoukai. The Western Lord glanced pointedly to Inuyasha, and shook his head when the hanyou opened his mouth.

"My son can speak his own mind Inuyasha. Be silent".

The hanyou's lip curled. He detested Sesshoumaru's cryptic life lessons. He'd have to hold onto his nephew for hours, and endure sore arms. "He's not exactly light you know", complained Inuyasha, jiggling the pup on his hip. The kid laughed, and gently patted his shoulder.

"Uncle. _Patience_" advised the pup. Sapphire eyes glinted impishly. The brat had Kagome's eyes, and Inuyasha didn't have the heart to deny him. He snorted irritably. Trust his half-brother's cheeky brat to impart wisdom. The boy smiled when his uncle huffed, and curled his lip.

"Hurry up already! I'd like to get inside before lunchtime!" grumbled the hanyou. He'd smelt the delectable cooking wafting from the Higurashi kitchen. He was starving. "I traipsed around town with Kagome for half the morning! I missed breakfast!" Inuyasha scowled when Sesshoumaru arched a silver brow and stated bluntly.

"Enlighten your uncle on the lesson of patience".

"Sesshoumaru!" snarled Inuyasha when his nephew pursed his lips, sucked in a breath, and threw back his shoulders. The pup lifted his chin, and recited from memory. He was a grand inuyoukai orator in the making. He was blossoming under the Taiyoukai's tutelage. Unfortunately, Inuyasha didn't appreciate being included in the kid's education, and promptly interrupted.

"Oh come on! I'm hungry! Can't this crap wait until after I've had a decent meal!" moaned the hanyou. He yelped when Sesshoumaru's pride and joy hooked taloned fingertips into his fluffy silver ear. "Hey! Don't pull it! All right! Ouch! _I'll be patient_!" The Taiyoukai smirked, pleased that his son had remembered the '_How to subdue a hanyou in one easy step_' tutorial. The pup was determined to speak his peace, and had asserted himself appropriately.

His Pack instinct was strong, and Sesshoumaru was understandably smug.

The little boy resumed his speech. He didn't release the hanyou's ear. Inuyasha's mouth dropped open. He listened, stunned when the kid confirmed his worst suspicions about Kagome. The kid's lesson in patience was ironically true about all women. "Mama takes longer to do everything" the pup affirmed sagely.

"Papa had to wait. Papa had to be patient. Many years passed. Mama was happy again. She gave Papa the gift she promised". The pup smiled, and held out his arms to Sesshoumaru. Inuyasha rolled his eyes. Only the Bastard could use that particular story as a lesson in patience. Sure, it was applicable, but he was being the typically insensitive bastard that he was.

"What gift did she give eh brat?" enquired the hanyou, deciding to be helpful. He winced when the boy finally released his ear, and leaned over. The kid slid into his father's arms. The exchange was comfortable between the brothers. Inuyasha didn't mind sharing his nephew with Sesshoumaru; the boy had softened much of the animosity between them.

"_Me_" answered the pup, beaming as he curled chubby arms about his father's neck. "Papa is very happy now. And Uncle will be happy too". Inuyasha bit his lip when Sesshoumaru's golden eyes narrowed in suspicion. He was in trouble now. The Taiyoukai glowered at him.

"_Inuyasha_?" he asked, tone cool yet tinged with irritation.

Sesshoumaru abhorred being the last to know something important, especially when it concerned the lives of his Pack members. The Pack was small but precious, and those counted amidst its number were dearly loved. Sesshoumaru's mate and son, his mother and grandparents, and Kagome's family were honorary members. Inuyasha was included too, along with Rin's descendants, and Jaken. Tsukiko, the hanyou's feral mate had always been a member, though she had never appreciated the exclusivity.

Inuyasha tried to run. "_Sesshoumaru_!" he barked, grimacing when the Taiyoukai's little bundle of joy latched onto his fluffy ear again. He yelped when the pup yanked him back by the pointed silver tip. "_Tell him to let go_!" he demanded, wincing when the kid dug his claws in. He was the fruit of the Bastard's loins all right.

The pup had his father's speed, short temper, and convoluted tricks to subdue his friends and Pack mates. "_What have you done_?" countered the Western Lord. He wanted to know what was going on. Inuyasha would enlighten him immediately or suffer the consequences of disobeying their Pack's Alpha male. "Answer or I will allow my son to take your ear as his first battle trophy".

The hanyou loved his downy silver doggy-ears. He could eavesdrop from a distance, and listen in three hundred and sixty degrees. Tsukiko adored those ears too, and showed her appreciation in pleasurable ways. Inuyasha missed her fangs, claws, and temper already, but she was too big to safely travel now, so he'd visited Kagome on his own. The absence of his moody mate hadn't escaped Sesshoumaru's notice either.

"Uncle. Be honest", cautioned his half-brother's pup. The kid pinched his ear. Inuyasha yelped. The boy would definitely rip it off if he didn't provide a satisfactory answer. "_Uncle_" warned the pup, baring his teeth.

The hanyou heard a tenor growl. The brat was actually pulling rank on him. Inuyasha was considered Sesshoumaru's beta, but the pup was his elder sibling's son, and had clout in the Pack. The clever little shit was imposing his right as the Taiyoukai's heir. Inuyasha snorted in amusement.

He was caught between two stubborn dogs.

The hanyou gave his brother and nephew a crooked grin. His golden eyes glinted proudly. "Tsuki's in pup again. She'll drop our third litter this spring". He chuckled when Sesshoumaru's silver brows furrowed. The Taiyoukai wasn't appeased.

Inuyasha gently plucked his nephew's claws from his ear. He sighed in relief when the kid let go without quarrel. The pup wasn't usually accommodating. "Don't take it personally Bastard. Tsuki's my mate, and when we have pups it's my place to worry not yours". He glanced to Sesshoumaru, noting the Taiyoukai's golden eyes were narrowed in annoyance.

"I came to share the news, and before you even ask, she's safe. Kouga checks up on her regularly, but she's staying with Grandma Sourpuss", amended Inuyasha. He was mildly relieved when his half-brother relaxed. Sesshoumaru had been close to tearing both of the fluffy dog-ears off the top of his head. The Taiyoukai tolerated the wolf-chief, but he didn't trust him.

Tsukiko was family, and now that she was pregnant again, the Western Lord's Pack would increase. Wolves often had litters of pups, rather than a single birth. He was understandably concerned. "You are certain that Tsukiko is with Grandmother", he demanded, wanting firm reassurance. The inuyoukai female was their father's cantankerous mother. She was loud, bold and temperamental, but also mindful, nurturing, and protective of those in her care.

If she had taken Tsuki under her wing again, Sesshoumaru would be satisfied. "Yes!" Inuyasha's golden eyes rolled in annoyance. "She was adamant that only she could take proper care of my mate. You know what happens when Grandma gets all tetchy and demanding". The Taiyoukai's mouth curled upward. He smirked in amusement, knowing that his half-sibling had yielded to the wilful demands of their domineering Grandmother.

The inuyoukai female was a force of nature better endured than opposed.

"Come" instructed the Western Lord. Inuyasha's lip curled when the Taiyoukai strode away. He headed deeper into the Shrine. "_Now_" commanded Sesshoumaru. He turned, and glanced over his shoulder.

The hanyou's nephew growled. "_Uncle_". The pup beckoned imperiously, and Inuyasha snorted when Sesshoumaru arched a silver brow. Father and son expected immediate obedience. "_Now_" ordered the Taiyoukai's toddler.


	4. Catnip, Grandpa and Naughty Puppies

_**The Marvellous Plunnie by Pyreite**_

**Disclaimer: **_Inuyasha, and its characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi__**. **__The __original __characters __Marv 'The Marvellous Plunnie'_ _the __wolf-hanyou Tsukiko__, and __Sesshoumaru's Grandmother__ (mentioned in this oneshot) belong to Pyre/Pyreite._

**Warning: **_This oneshot contains the use of strong coarse language. Discretion is advised. Koinu is the Japanese word for 'Puppy'._

_**Catnip, Grandpa Higurashi, and Naughty Puppies**_

"Get back here! _Demon_!" hollered an irate old man. Inuyasha gaped when Marvellous the colour-changing Plunnie dashed across the pavement, and darted between his legs. His head shot up when Kagome's crazy grandpa came galloping after, hot on its fluffy heels. The hanyou leapt to the side and narrowly avoided being run over. Kagome's Grandpa was old, but he was a spry, fit, and quick for his age.

"_What the hell_! _Old Man_! _Slow down_!" exclaimed the hanyou. He didn't want the old geezer to have a heart attack. Kagome would hit the roof. She loved the crotchety human. "Grandpa! Geeze! Leave the Plunnie alone! Aw crap!"

Inuyasha glanced to his brother and nephew. He bolted for Goshinboku. The hanyou shed his gloves and shoes, and was up the tree before the Taiyoukai, or his offspring could grab a fluffy silver ear. "It was Kagome's idea! She wanted a pet for Souta! He's been moping ever since Buyo died! She made me miss breakfast so we could go to the pet store this morning! There was a little girl and her mother trying to get rid of the rabbit! It changes colours, is actually a youkai, and Kagome brought it back with her! I had nothing to do with it!" rambled the hanyou.

He wasn't getting his ears ripped off for this stunt.

The Miko could face her annoyed Taiyoukai mate on her own.

Sesshoumaru didn't have an opportunity to open his mouth, nor did his son. The Taiyoukai gracefully sidestepped when his mate came barrelling round the corner, yelling at the top of her lungs. "_Grandpa_!" Kagome paused long enough peck the Western Lord's striped cheek. "Good morning my darlings!" She leaned over to kiss her little boy's crown.

The Miko smiled happily, waved, and resumed the chase. "Grandpa! Leave Marv alone!" she pleaded, trying to catch the old man's flapping sleeve. He was fast on his feet. She skidded when her grandfather pivoted on the ball of his sandaled foot, and changed direction. The Marvellous Plunnie, now a pale and frightened white, darted across the paved square toward the Western Lord.

"No! That beast will pay the consequences!" retorted Grandpa Higurashi, furious over losing a cup of tea, a plate of dumplings, and his favourite antique fortune cookie. The poor starved Plunnie had snacked in less than half a minute, and scurried out the dining room door. The clever little beast clawed its way up the Taiyoukai's leg like a fluffy kitten, and snuggled under his elbow. The Western Lord's son stared into dark and intelligent eyes that shimmered from earth-brown to sky-blue, complete with black slit pupils. The bunny squeaked, and its form changed too.

"Papa! _Look_!" chortled the Taiyoukai's toddler. Marv the Plunnie morphed from a white rabbit into a small curly-haired puppy with long floppy ears. The transformed Plunnie yipped, and wagged its bristly tail. Sesshoumaru's son couldn't resist the allure of the irresistibly cute little dog. "_Puppy_!" he giggled, wrapping his arms about its fluffy neck.

"It changed shape! _It is a demon_! I knew it! _Be gone foul beast_!" roared Grandpa Higurashi. The old man brandished a freshly inked sutra, and plastered it on Marv's floppy ear. He slapped two more on the brows of both Sesshoumaru, and his great grandson. Grandpa wiggled his fingers, and readied himself to enact judgement. "_I shall vanquish you into the twilight of oblivion_!" he promised, and he began to chant in the ancient tongue of the Shrine Monks.

"Grandpa! _No_!" hollered Kagome. She feared the worst, and barrelled across the courtyard. Inuyasha observed from his perch in the spreading boughs of Goshinboku. He grimaced when the Miko tackled her grandfather. The pair tumbled, hit the pavement, and crashed into several potted plants.

The sutra seals (pasted onto all three youkai) combusted instantly. Kagome's valiant effort came too late. Amidst shattered ceramic pots, dirt, and uprooted greenery, the Miko gagged her grandfather with a handful of baby shoots. "No!" she screeched, glancing to her mate, son, and the Plunnie Marv. "_Eh_?" she gasped, confounded.

Kagome gawked. Her Taiyoukai mate and son were fine, though they now reeked strongly of something sweet and minty. The Miko took a whiff, nose wrinkling. "_Grandpa_!" she scolded, whirling round to glare at her sneaky grandfather. The only thing worse than being purified (for an inuyoukai) was being slapped with a sacred sutra that masked their natural scent with catnip. Marv reacted instinctually, and shifted shape from a puppy dog into a fluffy pink kitten.

The little shape-changer meowed, and elicited an irritable bass rumble from the Western Lord. Sesshoumaru's displeasure didn't dampen its spirits. The Plunnie's coat brightened to a happy yellow, it purred, and tucked a feline head beneath his jaw. The Taiyoukai's pup clapped his clawed hands, and reached out to pat the kitten. "Puppy now a Kitty! Sunny Kitty!" he laughed charmed by the pleasant little youkai.

"_My son_" reproved Sesshoumaru. He didn't share his pup's innocent fascination. The catnip sutra had impaired his sense of smell, and he couldn't determine by scent if the strange creature was dangerous. "_What in the world_!" he growled, startled when the Plunnie mimicked a shape that was familiar and comforting. Marv had transformed into an inuyoukai dog.

The Taiyoukai stared into its scarlet eyes. The Plunnie was no larger than a domesticated cat, but its appearance was amazingly accurate. Sesshoumaru had seen the beast shape-shift, but he had not expected to witness something so heart-wrenchingly recognizable. "How did you know?" he questioned, annoyance forgotten in the face of his esteemed father's inuyoukai beast form. Marv's pink tongue lolled, and the Plunnie inclined a fluffy pearly-white head, complete with floppy ears, and the Inu Taisho's luxuriant silver ruff.

Sesshoumaru appraised the transformed Plunnie. The small youkai yipped like a dog, and it's bristly tail wagged happily. The Taiyoukai's son glanced to his father. The boy patted Marv's pearly white head. He asked hopefully. "Papa, can we keep Puppy?"

"Perhaps" replied the Western Lord, though he had already decided Marv's fate. The little shape-changer would belong to his son, not Souta. Sesshoumaru arched a silver brow when Inuyasha dropped from Goshiboku's boughs. The hanyou landed barefoot in the courtyard. "_Holy crap in a bamboo basket_!" swore Inuyasha.

"Is that our old man's beast form?" queried the hanyou. Inuyasha glanced to his brother, expectant. Only Sesshoumaru had seen their father's inuyoukai form in the flesh.

The Taiyoukai nodded. "It is. How this creature knew of it I do not know, but be assured little brother. I will discover the truth". Marv whined, and his ears and tail drooped. Sesshoumaru's son soothed the distraught Plunnie with a gentle pat on the head. Inuyasha stared at his elder sibling.

"You're going to keep him then?" asked the hanyou. He grinned when the Taiyoukai nodded. Inuyasha's nephew squealed in delight. The hanyou watched the boy throw his arms round his father's neck, and hug him gratefully. "So much for Souta having a new pet. Your brat's not going to give the Plunnie over now thanks to you".

Sesshoumaru considered his half-sibling. "I will offer Souta a compromise. Think no more of it Inuyasha. The matter is closed".

The hanyou's eyes rolled. He'd just been served with a warning. Keep his nose out of it, or else. "Subtle Bastard" he growled when the Taiyoukai glared at him. "Oh yeah?" teased Inuyasha.

Two could play this game. It had been a terribly long while since he'd had the chance to nettle Sesshoumaru. The hanyou sniffed cautiously. Inuyasha slapped a clawed hand over his nose. He grimaced in disgust.

"You reek of cat piss!"

Sesshoumaru glanced to his son, and saw the indignant rage on the pup's young face. The boy's lip curled, and his teeth were bared. The child scowled. His sapphire eyes flashed, and the pup jabbed a clawed finger at his uncle. "My Papa is not smelly!"

The kid barked an order to Marv. "Puppy! _Bite_!"

Inuyasha glanced from the incensed brat to the new pet. He'd wanted a reaction, and now he had one. The hanyou smirked, and was confident that a youkai that small would be wimpy. Marv the Plunnie could change colours, but surely, he couldn't be that strong.

"_Come and get me you little shit_!"

Inuyasha threw his arms wide anticipating an assault. The hanyou stood perfectly still. It would be easy to subdue this little beast. He was the beta-ranked male in the Pack. Only Sesshoumaru was older, stronger, and the Alpha.

The mutant shape-shifter didn't stand a chance. Inuyasha was secure in the knowledge that he would be the top dog in this fight. "Puppy! _Ears_!" barked Sesshoumaru's son. The Taiyoukai looked on, golden eyes glinting. He smirked, pleased that his pup had instructed the newest acquisition to their Pack well.

Marv leapt, jaws open, and two rows of jagged ivory teeth gleamed. Inuyasha saw the indigo slashes across the Plunnie's fluffy white cheeks. "_Oh shit_!" he exclaimed, reflexively raising his hands. He caught the transformed Plunnie round the middle. The hanyou was knocked off his feet.

Marv packed a wallop. Inuyasha landed heavily, spread-eagle on his back. He was winded, but kept hold of the Plunnie trying to take a chunk out of his nose. Marv twisted his svelte inuyoukai body, and tried to squirm out of the hanyou's steady grasp. "I got you short stuff!" growled Inuyasha, triumphant.

He held the Plunnie high, and crowed his success. "Yeah! You won't be biting my ears today! Hah! _Eeeh_!" Marv (in true canine fashion) wouldn't admit defeat. The Plunnie cocked a leg, and just like a dog, peed on the hanyou. "You little shit! _Graah_!"

Kagome gaped. Her cheeks dimpled, and she bit her lip, repressing her amusement. Inuyasha was growling at Marv, whose current form was that of an adorable (crimson-eyed and fluffy-tailed) inuyoukai dog. The front of the hanyou's borrowed black t-shirt was soaked through, and he reeked of ammonia. The Miko's grandfather was less considerate.

Grandpa Higurashi had flowers in his grey hair, dirt on his cheeks and a layer of dust on his clothes. The old man spat out a mouthful of weeds, jabbed a wrinkled finger at Inuyasha, and threw his head back. "_It peed on you_!" he hooted. "I praise the Kami's sense of ironic symbolism!" Grandpa pranced in a circle, and prayed his thanks between chortles.

"_Grandpa_!" rebuked Kagome. She tried to keep a straight face too, and failed miserably. She glanced to her mate and son, and saw that both of them were incredibly smug. "Sweetie! That was naughty! We will discuss this later!" she stated sternly, giving her baby boy a reproving look. The Miko's sapphire eyes glinted mischievously, and she cleared her throat.

Kagome turned to her hanyou friend, and said promptly. "Inuyasha put Marv down, and go and get cleaned up". She paused when his lip curled. He was drenched to the skin in puppy-dog wee, irritable and upset. "_Now_" she instructed, setting her hands on her hips.

The Miko's eyes narrowed, and she glowered like an Alpha female that commanded respect. Sesshoumaru was her mate; she was the mother of his son and unafraid of using her status and position to her advantage. Kagome had learned much from her Taiyoukai about the behaviour of dogs and their expectations from a strong leader. She did her mate and son proud.

"_Inuyasha_!"

The hanyou sighed, and gave Marv the transformed Plunnie a dirty look. The mutt had soaked his borrowed t-shirt and was happily wagging its bristly white tail. Inuyasha waggled his brows at Kagome, and promptly grabbed the shape-changer's muzzle. "If you can look like one of us, _then you can learn like one of us_!" avowed the hanyou. Inuyasha buried Marv's nose in his sodden shirt.

The Plunnie whimpered and writhed in Inuyasha's hands. The hanyou's message was clear. "I'm not a tree. The next time you cock a leg on me, I'll shave your tail off!" Inuyasha glared into Marv's crimson inuyoukai eyes. "_Well_?" he demanded, exerting his authority as the Pack's beta-male.

"_Papa_!" hissed Sesshoumaru's son. The pup jabbed a clawed finger at his uncle. He whined when his father shook his head. "_Mama_!" called the boy. He pouted when his mother chided him gently.

"Uncle Inuyasha is right sweetheart, if Marv is to become part of our family than he must learn what is acceptable and what isn't". Kagome smiled reassuringly when her son pouted. She shared a patient and understanding look with Sesshoumaru. "What lesson is this?" she prompted drawing their pup out of his moodiness. He was a bright, and energetic child, and rarely melancholic.

The Taiyoukai glanced from his mate to Kagome's grandfather. Grandpa Higurashi was listening intently. The old man had a reverent smile upon his face. He nodded benignly, and was happy that his granddaughter had found her place beside the imposing Western Lord. The young mother now educating her son was not the clumsy and forgetful granddaughter that he'd tried to teach history to each day.

This Kagome was older, wiser, and more patient than the teenager that had travelled five hundred years into the past. "_Sweetheart_" encouraged the Miko when her son refused to answer. She strode across the courtyard and opened her arms. "Give him to me please darling" she said to Sesshoumaru. She shared an affectionate kiss with her mate, and he pressed their pup into her arms.

The toddler refused to look at his mother. He averted his gaze when she settled him on her hip. He had definitely inherited the Taiyoukai's obstinacy. Sesshoumaru recognized the sulky pout, the furrowed silver brows, and the watery blue eyes. His son, close to tears, was too proud to cry.

"Koinu" reassured the Taiyoukai, using the term of endearment tenderly. His pup's lip wobbled unhappily. "_Koinu, you know this lesson_", he affirmed, curling a calloused palm round his son's striped cheek. Sesshoumaru gently turned the boy's face to his mother. The Western Lord nodded expectantly, glancing to his mate.

Kagome shared a fond look with the Taiyoukai. She loved him with all of her heart for he had given her what no mortal man could. The Miko had weathered time, grief, and loss only to find happiness again with the conception of their son. She was a mate, mother, and wife, and half of their simple symmetry that was now a family. "Koinu. What lesson is this?" she said, turning round with their pup to face Inuyasha.

The hanyou had Marv by the scruff. He arched a silver brow, narrowed his golden eyes, and looked to his stubborn nephew. The Plunnie dangled from Inuyasha's taloned fingers. "The lesson Koinu" he insisted, giving Marv a firm shake. "What is it?"

The little boy whined, realising that he was caught just like the marvellously naughty Plunnie. "Respect" he sniffled. The hanyou nodded, but he wasn't satisfied. Inuyasha tolerated his nephew's antics, and he didn't mind his fluffy silver ears being pinched on occasion (but some lessons required proper inuyoukai etiquette). The boy and his new pet Plunnie had to learn that a place in the Pack came with certain unspoken responsibilities.

Respect between Pack mates was vital or their close-knit family would come apart at the seams. The Pack acted as one, and sought to educate their youngest members together. Kagome offered comfort, and gently stroked her son's striped cheek. Sesshoumaru encouraged the pup to answer. "Why Koinu?"

Inuyasha provided incentive, and lifted the transformed Marv high into the air.

The hanyou was patient but he wouldn't be lenient until both youngsters had learned their lesson.

"Pack means family. Respect is love. Love keeps our family together", replied the Taiyoukai's son. The boy glanced to his uncle and Marv. "Puppy was naughty. Uncle is not a tree. Puppy should not have piddled on Uncle", he stated succinctly, and some of his earlier exuberance returned. The boy arched silver brows, and looked to his Uncle Inuyasha, expectant.

The hanyou lowered his arm, and Marv, but he didn't put the Plunnie down. His fluffy silver ears flattened. He didn't want to apologize either. Inuyasha sighed when Marv (seeming to understand what was required) whined remorsefully and licked his chin. "Yeah all right I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have said that your bastard father smelt like cat piss", admitted the hanyou.

Inuyasha grimaced when Marv continued to apologize.

"Eh! You're forgiven!" The hanyou pushed the Plunnie's head away, and settled Marv comfortably into his arms. Inuyasha held him firmly, and threaded a clawed hand through the youkai's silver ruff. The little runt wasn't out of the woods yet. He still needed a bath, and so did the hanyou.

Inuyasha scowled when Kagome arched her black brows. He glanced to his haughty half-brother. "You smell kind of minty Bastard. It's not half bad but don't take it as a compliment. I still think you're an arsehole". The hanyou snorted when Kagome smiled. She was appeased until his helpful half-sibling enlightened her about the most recent changes in his life. "_I'll just take Marv with me and go take a bath_!" babbled Inuyasha when Kagome whirled and shouted his name.

"_Inuyasha_!" The Miko had her son in her arms, and was unable to pursue the silver-haired blur that bolted for the house. Marv yelped and was gone when the hanyou dog-knapped him. "I can't believe he didn't tell us that Tsuki was pregnant again! He's known for months! If I didn't love him so much I'd rip his tail off!" she snarled, irritated that the hanyou had been secretive. Kagome got along well with his mate Tsukiko, and both were close friends.

It stung to be intentionally excluded, but the Miko understood. Tsuki enjoyed her privacy. It was more likely that Inuyasha had simply respected her wishes, and had kept the she-wolf hanyou's pregnancy in confidence. Kagome was relieved that Tsuki had obviously changed her mind. Inuyasha would never have come to visit them otherwise.

The hanyou was just as pernickety about his mate, as the Taiyoukai was about the Miko herself.

Sesshoumaru smirked, and joined Kagome. Strong arms laced round her waist, and the Taiyoukai kissed her brow. "Inuyasha will be here for a few days. You can interrogate him over several bowls of ramen" he suggested. How the hanyou could slurp the salty noodles, and gulp down the steaming broth he couldn't fathom. The Western Lord ate very little human food, but many of his mate's favourite dishes had been altered to suit his more carnivorous inuyoukai appetite.

"Uncle has a tail?" their pup wondered aloud. The youngster pursed his lips, and glanced excitedly to the guest wing of the Sunset Shrine. The sound of canine yelps, splashing, and frantic clawing on a wooden door were clearly audible. The boy lifted his nose, and sniffed curiously. "Uncle smells better. Puppy does too".

Sesshoumaru and Kagome shared an understanding look. Sapphire eyes met inu-gold, and both wondered who would curtail their son's inquisitiveness this time. The boy would definitely seek to resolve the mystery of Inuyasha's tail. "Sweetie. You are not to pull Uncle Inuyasha's pants down, sniff his backside, or steal his underwear. Remember the lesson of Respect", cautioned the Miko. She bit her lip and tried to restrain the urge to laugh when her son pouted crossly.

"But Mama pulls Papa's tail" he countered innocently.

"_Koinu_" admonished Sesshoumaru. It was difficult to appear intimidating when his striped magenta cheeks were tinged pink. His son was correct. His lovely mate did pull his tail. "_Kagome_" he warned when the Miko's cheeks dimpled, and she smiled wryly.

Kagome kissed his mouth. "Don't growl my love", she teased when their son ran the pads of his chubby fingers over her mate's temples. The pup patted his father's brow until the irritable furrows eased, and the crescent moon was smooth again. The Miko's mouth turned upward in a smug smirk. "Remember", she said sweetly.

"If I didn't like pulling your tail then we wouldn't have conceived our little darling here" stated Kagome, glancing to the child in her arms. She kissed the boy's crown. "You need a bath too my little Koinu, and so does Papa". She looked to her mate, and laughed when he scowled. Sesshoumaru preferred to bathe with her in his arms, but this morning she'd be busy bathing their pup.

"Sorry my darling but our Koinu takes precedence". The Miko winked at her mate, kissed his cheek, and wandered to the house. "I expect you to take a bath sweetheart". Kagome disappeared inside with their son, and Sesshoumaru was left alone with Grandpa Higurashi. The Taiyoukai glanced to the elderly human.

Grandpa's dark eyes crinkled merrily. He smiled and was contented. "You have made her happy. I am grateful", he said, inclining his head in deference. The inuyoukai laid his taloned hands upon the old man's shoulders. Sesshoumaru stalled his action, knowing that the elderly human would have bowed to him in respect.

"We are Pack. Formalities are unnecessary", reasoned the Taiyoukai. He was old too though he appeared to be only in his early twenties physically. The Western Lord had nowhere near his venerable Grandmother's maturity, but he understood (as she did) that the trappings of nobility were little more than decoration. He could be himself with Kagome's family. "I shall bathe, and then we can share a meal and tea afterward" he offered neutrally.

Grandpa beamed. "The conversation of civilized folk would be incomplete without a game of Shogi", countered the old man. It had been years since he'd had a decent opponent. His grandson showed promise but Souta was too easily distracted by video games, and pretty girls to stay focused. Grandpa couldn't compete with the flashy PS3 graphics, or Souta's latest high school crush.

"Best out of three?" wheedled Sesshoumaru, willing to gamble.

"Make it five out of five and you have a deal" haggled Grandpa Higurashi.

The Taiyoukai proffered his taloned hand. Grandpa accepted. The pair shook amiably. "Go and wash. I'll set the Shogi board". The old man smiled when his grandson-in-law inclined his head and matched him count for count.

"I will ask Kagome to prepare our tea and something to eat. Your great grandson will be famished too".

"Inuyasha will be as well" chuckled Grandpa when the hanyou's empty stomach rumbled loud enough to scare the birds from Goshiboku's boughs. The old man laughed and patted Sesshoumaru's back when they turned to follow Kagome inside. He was happy for his granddaughter, and glad that his family was whole again. Grandpa paused on the doorstep, and glanced to the well house. Kagome had disappeared half a millennium into the past, but now she was home again in modern-day Japan.

Grandpa Higurashi would treasure his remaining years for he could spend them surrounded by friends, and family. Grandpa offered a silent prayer of thanks and gratitude to the Kami. He was blessed, and happy to accept their benevolence with grace. Kagome had been sent into the past to save the world. She had later returned to the present, permanently, world wise, married and with a small son.

"My life is complete", he said to Sesshoumaru. "But right now you need a bath, and I need a cup of tea, food, and my Shogi set".

The Taiyoukai smiled, amused. "Good things come to those who wait".

Grandpa laughed. "The best things come to those who have patience enough to wait, unfortunately I don't believe that includes Inuyasha's stomach". The old man chuckled when the hanyou's belly rumbled again, and vibrated through the Sunset Shrine's wooden walls. "We're going to need a lot of food to fill that bottomless pit", he declared.

Sesshoumaru nodded for he had experience aplenty in hunting to satiate the hanyou's legendary appetite.

"Let us hope that he does not consume my son's new pet".

Grandpa Higurashi paused and both the old man and the Taiyoukai shared a worried glance. "You'll check the bath?"

"I will".

Grandpa slapped his hands together. "I'll boil the kettle and have a look in the fridge for leftovers. It's best to be prepared. Inuyasha's dangerous when he's starving".


End file.
